Just weeks after The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman debuted on Netflix, the streaming site is looking at another fraudster in The Tinder Swindler.

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Shimon Hayut posed as a billionaire named Simon Leviev on dating app Tinder to dupe women across Europe of hundreds and thousands of dollars.

In the new documentary, victims of Hayut - who was arrested in 2019 and spent time in prison - come together to tell their stories and seek revenge.

Read on for everything you need to know about The Tinder Swindler as it arrives on Netflix, including where Shimon is today.

The Tinder Swindler release date

The Tinder Swindler arrives on Netflix on Wednesday 2nd February.

From the producers of The Imposter and Don't F**k with Cats, The Tinder Swindler is a one-off film with a runtime of 113 minutes.

What is The Tinder Swindler about?

The Tinder Swindler is a documentary about conman Shimon Hayut, who was arrested in 2019 for posing as a billionaire playboy on dating app Tinder and defrauding women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The film tells the story of the prolific criminal and the women who set out to bring him down, including Cecilie Fjellhoy, who met Hayut on the dating app and, after being duped by him, wanted revenge.

"Cecilie discovers his other targets and once they band together, they're victims no more: The Tinder Swindler meets his match," Netflix teased.

Who is The Tinder Swindler – Shimon Hayut?

The titular Tinder Swindler in this documentary is Shimon Hayut – an Israeli fraudster who posed as a wealthy Russian oligarch named Simon Leviev on the dating app and managed to con his dates out of huge amounts of money.

In 2017, Hayut fled to Israel to avoid facing trial for a number of fraud-related offences and travelled around Europe for two years, during which time he posed as the son of diamond mogul Lev Leviev, using Tinder to date women and trick them into loaning him money.

While he would initially woo his dates in countries such as Norway, Finland and Sweden with expensive gifts, trips of private jets and luxurious hotel stays, he would then ask to borrow money after saying he had some security concerns.

In December 2019, Hayut was ordered to pay $43,289 in compensation and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud – however, he only spent five months in jail.

The Tinder Swindler trailer

Netflix released a trailer for The Tinder Swindler in January, teasing interviews to come with some of the women Hayut had duped out of sums like $20,000, $30,000 and even $140,000 in one case.

And in an exclusive clip obtained by RadioTimes.com, Tinder Swindler Shimon Hayut's victim talks 'stopping' conman.

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The Tinder Swindler arrives on Netflix on Wednesday 2nd February. Find something to watch with our TV Guide.

Authors

Lauren Morris
Lauren MorrisEntertainment and Factual Writer
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